Enhanced crosswind compensation

Abstract

A device may estimate crosswind by a vehicle controller according to driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition. The device may, if the estimated crosswind exceeds a predetermined threshold, utilize the vehicle controller to correct the crosswind condition to reduce vehicle control demand on the driver, the automatic correction including at least one of a steering angle adjustment and suspension stiffness adjustment.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 estimating crosswind by a vehicle controller according to driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and 
 when the estimated crosswind exceeds a predetermined threshold, utilizing the vehicle controller to correct the crosswind condition to reduce vehicle control demand on the driver, the correction including a steering angle adjustment and a suspension stiffness adjustment. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining an offset steering angle proportional to the estimated crosswind force; and 
 providing the offset steering angle to an active power steering system to make the correction for the detected crosswind condition. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing an indication to a variable roll-stiffness system of the vehicle to tighten the suspension and reduce crosswind-induced roll based on the crosswind effect to make the correction for the detected crosswind condition. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying a first forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of vehicle uncertainty and a second forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of crosswind estimation, the first and second forgetting factors accounting for relatively slower-changing vehicle uncertainty and relatively faster-changing crosswinds; and 
 applying the driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to a recursive-least-squares heuristic specialized according to the first and second forgetting factors to estimate crosswind. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving updated driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and updated crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and 
 applying the updated driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to the recursive-least-squares heuristic according to the first and second forgetting factors. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of receiving the driver steering inputs at least in part from a steering wheel sensor, and receiving the crosswind disturbance inputs at least in part from a vehicle yaw rate sensor. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the crosswind estimation no longer exceeds the predetermined threshold; and 
 utilize the vehicle controller to reset the corrections. 
 
     
     
       8. A computing device storing an application executable by a processor of the computing device to provide operations comprising:
 estimating crosswind by a vehicle controller according to driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and 
 when the estimated crosswind exceeds a predetermined threshold, utilizing the vehicle controller to correct the crosswind condition to reduce vehicle control demand on the driver, the correction including a steering angle adjustment and a suspension stiffness adjustment. 
 
     
     
       9. The computing device of  claim 8 , further executing the application to provide operations comprising:
 determining an offset steering angle proportional to the estimated crosswind force; and 
 providing the offset steering angle to the active power steering system to make correction for the detected crosswind condition. 
 
     
     
       10. The computing device of  claim 8 , further executing the application to provide operations comprising providing an indication to a variable roll-stiffness system of the vehicle to tighten the suspension and reduce crosswind-induced roll based on the crosswind effect to make correction for the detected crosswind condition. 
     
     
       11. The computing device of  claim 8 , further executing the application to provide operations comprising:
 identifying a first forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of vehicle uncertainty and a second forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of crosswind estimation, the first and second forgetting factors accounting for relatively slower-changing vehicle uncertainty and relatively faster-changing crosswinds; and 
 applying the driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to a recursive-least-squares heuristic specialized according to the first and second forgetting factors to estimate crosswind. 
 
     
     
       12. The computing device of  claim 11 , further executing the application to provide operations comprising:
 receiving updated driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and updated crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and 
 applying the updated driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to the recursive-least-squares heuristic according to the first and second forgetting factors. 
 
     
     
       13. The computing device of  claim 8 , further executing the application to provide operations comprising at least one of receiving the driver steering inputs at least in part from a steering wheel sensor, and receiving the crosswind disturbance inputs at least in part from a vehicle yaw rate sensor. 
     
     
       14. The computing device of  claim 8 , further executing the application to provide operations comprising:
 determining that the crosswind estimation no longer exceeds the predetermined threshold; and 
 utilizing the vehicle controller to reset the corrections. 
 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions of a software program, the software program being executable by a processor of a computing device to provide operations comprising:
 estimating crosswind by a vehicle controller according to driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and 
 when the estimated crosswind exceeds a predetermined threshold, utilizing the vehicle controller to correct the crosswind condition to reduce vehicle control demand on the driver, the correction including at least one of a steering angle adjustment and suspension stiffness adjustment. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising:
 determining an offset steering angle proportional to the estimated crosswind force; and 
 providing the offset steering angle to the active power steering system to make correction for the detected crosswind condition. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising providing an indication to a variable roll-stiffness system of the vehicle to tighten the suspension and reduce crosswind-induced roll based on the crosswind effect to make correction for the detected crosswind condition. 
     
     
       18. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising:
 identifying a first forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of vehicle uncertainty and a second forgetting factor accounting for a rate of change of crosswind estimation, the first and second forgetting factors accounting for relatively slower-changing vehicle uncertainty and relatively faster-changing crosswinds; and 
 applying the driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to a recursive-least-squares heuristic specialized according to the first and second forgetting factors to estimate crosswind. 
 
     
     
       19. The computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising:
 receiving updated driver steering inputs indicative of driver intention and updated crosswind disturbance inputs indicative of a potential crosswind condition; and 
 applying the updated driver steering inputs and crosswind disturbance inputs to the recursive-least-squares heuristic according to the first and second forgetting factors. 
 
     
     
       20. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising at least one of receiving the driver steering inputs at least in part from a steering wheel sensor, and receiving the crosswind disturbance inputs at least in part from a vehicle yaw rate sensor. 
     
     
       21. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , the software program being further executable by the processor configured to provide operations comprising:
 determining that the crosswind estimation no longer exceeds the predetermined threshold; and 
 utilizing the vehicle controller to reset the corrections.